Peri? Anxiety & panic attacks

[Cbpoppy]

Hi All..
Can anyone tell me youre experiences with panic attacks & anxiety in peri..

I started getting what I thought was something very serious but atm after having mri scan, bloods & ecg etc nothing coming back abnormal..

I started getting these waves of like head rushes out of nowhere and feeling on edge 5 weeks ago on a daily basis..
They started when I actually felt quite calm.
Fast forward having these for 2 weeks I got what I think was a nasty panic attack when I went to bed that scared me to ring 111.
Literally woke up with a feeling of faintness, panic, waves of head rushes & tingling that lasted throughout the night. 2 nights later an even worse episode that made me think I was going to have something really bad happen 😕
I'm now on & off with these feelings and its awful and definitely worse at night although they do show during the day..
I've just turned 44.
Seen doctor 5 times & blood pressure fine, ecg fine, bloods all good.
Mri went private & was fine.
My periods are absolutely fine.
Every 4 weeks and probably lighter & shorter. No hot flushes or anything but I know there are so many other symptoms.
I just have no idea.

The doctor has told me to try hrt so I've been given estrogen gel & progesterone pills and period is due the next couple of days..
Would love some advice if anyone is out there xx

I have copied this reply that I sent to another poster about my experience, I was still having reasonably regular periods so hadn’t realised I was in peri or what that could mean, you sound like the stage I was at about a year before I got help, I actually had a complete breakdown, so I was unable to function, which is why I believe it took the hrt longer to work than with other ladies.

I am 52 years old, about two years ago I started to feel anxious for no reason, which gradually crept up on me and I was finding normal things like driving and going in my local shop nerve wracking, I had several panic attacks in shops.
Things ramped up last June and I was unable to leave the house, I had constant anxiety about my young adult children and became unable to eat or sleep.
I booked a dr appointment in July which I waited three weeks for, the doctor was running late and I was convinced she had forgotten me, she found me collapsed in the waiting room unable to speak at first, but I truly believe she saved my life, if I hadn’t seen such an understanding dr, I wouldn’t be here now.
She told me it was menopause, and when I asked her if she had seen other women as bad as me? And had they got better? she replied “yes” and “yes”
I started hrt and it wasn’t a straight forward road, I had four or five months more of absolutely terror (anxiety seems an inadequate word) unable to eat or sleep, palpitations, chest pains. I had lots of medical tests as I had lost so much weight and was convinced I was dying.
I am trying to keep this short! I was convinced I wouldn’t see Christmas, but around that time I started to very slowly feel better and now I am almost back to normal after suffering for two years and having a complete breakdown, where I didn’t think I would ever get myself back.
Please go to the doctor now, I had never given a thought to menopause or hrt, I presumed my periods would stop and I would get hot flushes, but for some ladies this terrible thing happens.
wishing you all the best x

Oh my gosh @NewMauveSwan this sounds like you've had an awful time. So you made it to 50 before all this started.
It's incredible how severe the symtoms of Peri and anxiety can be.
I'm so glad to hear you got the help and are feeling much more yourself..
I had started to notice an increase amount of anxiety recently and start to worry about going places etc, although I was 🤒 last year so this kind of started then.
The head surges started while I was watching tv & all night these waves kept running through my head with pins and needles.
When I saw the nurse she gave me a full mot of bloods, ecg and blood pressure etc & everything normal..
2 weeks i felt awful & so scared of these sensations..
The night i had what i think was a panic attack i thought i was going to A&E.
My whole body tingled, my head felt awful & truly thought I'd faint. The episode lasted all night pretty much.
Then 2 nights after i woke up at 4am with an even worse experience of this. The rushes to my head were so strong and I was convinced some bad was going to happen. Went to doctors 4 times who didn't have any answers..
I paid for private bloods as I wanted my whole bloods tested but everything ok & then I went for an Mri scan private as these head sensations.
Came back normal.
I still have no answers but am wandering from other people's experiences on here and google if these have been severe panic attacks with daily head rushes..
There's no rhyme or reason and goes in waves of good then bad..
I do have hrt to trial..
Gel & pessaries

I was slightly different. I went for a menopause consultation for other symptoms, took the HRT and found that a low level anxiety that I didn't really know that I had was relieved as well.

Funnily enough, I am starting to get more anxiety again now, aged 57. I'm not on the highest dose of HRT though so I've still got some scope.

I would wake up at 3am every day with a feeling of absolute horror and my heart beating so fast I didn’t think my body would cope, I had the terrible head rushes and pins and needles and numbness, I had terrible chest pains. Now I can think clearly after the event I can see these were all symptoms of anxiety as since my hrt kicked in all the physical symptoms have disappeared along with the terrible fear. I had no clue at all that it was peri causing this and just thank the excellent GP who realised straight away. My doctor said I was a bad case, but not at all unusual, which makes me so sad for others not getting appropriate help. Your symptoms sound just like mine in the earlier days, I am so glad you have gone for help early x

So thankful for you're reply @NewMauveSwan
Lovely people who take the time to reply to me :).
I have the estrogen gel and progesterone tablets that I can take orally or vaginally.
Fingers crossed..xxx

@Negroany that was a bonus that got relieved of it and can at least up youre dose xx

I’ve been having the most HORRENDOUS anxiety since the beginning of September which coincided with a very out of whack period. My cycle returned to normal this month but the anxiety is ongoing and I’ve been given anti depressants. I’ve had the odd symptom id consider to be peri- sore joints, disrupted sleep, sore boobs on and off but it’s all very vague. I did have a hormone blood panel done but it was normal (I know these aren’t reliable). So I’ve got no clear idea really but you aren’t alone in this and I hope you find a solution x

@ICSH1
Its crazy isn't it.
Ive just turned 44. My periods are clock work give or take a few days early sometimes. No peri symtoms as such but this latest anxiety & panic is so odd..
Like the other lady said I honestly thought it was the end as the attacks were so severe. I never would of thought a panic attack could be so awful. I had hormones taken 2 weeks ago around ovulation and the doctor said we're bang on for day 14 of cycle, estrogen high & others lower but they still say try hrt so guess its worth a look xx

Hi @Cbpoppy how are you feeling now? I’m having similar anxiety symptoms to you, I’ve also just turned 44 and just been given HRT by my GP. Insomnia, brain fog, fingers and toes tingling plus sweating even though my periods are regular. My ears and tinnitus are also acting up. The worst thing for me is the nighttime sleep and the jolting awake 😞.

Also had my bloods come back normal.

For those who are on HRT, how long does it take to kick in?

HRT kicked in super quickly for me. Couple of days my mood and anxiety improved. Aches and pains took longer but did clear up entirely over a period of a few months. I still get anxiety just before my period, and it can be quite bad, but the rest of the month I am just fine. Sleep much much improved.

I can't say HRT has put me back to my old self, but I am pretty close. That's 2 pumps of gels + 12 days progesterone. Started HRT at 45 but definitely needed it before!

Best of luck X

Hi @lul37
I'm doing alot better now. I couldn't handle the hrt..
If anything it made me feel worse, the surges etc plus added lack of sleep & jitters even at a half pump estrogel.
I'm just 44 too..
My hormone tests on 2 occasions showed really good estrogen too.
I have no other symtoms, my periods regular & no bother or hot flushes etc..
The doctor and I at the moment have put this down to an anxiety/panic episode which I guess I was kind of on some high alert feeling a few months before this happened.
I'm taking a low dose amitriptyline & propronol.
I still cant get my head around those 2 major panic attacks but at the moment no hrt..
Some ladies talked to me about a progesterone only approach
What were youre hormone results?
When did they test you?
I had a test just after period and my estrogen was 600 which was high
Ovulation it was 1300 great too.
My progesterone is at 0.2 so on the lower normal..
The tingles, etc are so odd, never experienced anything like it

Glad to hear your doing better @Cbpoppy.

My GP prescribed the HRT based on my symptoms, and after my latest blood results came back normal. I really hope they work for me soon as my anxiety is thru the roof, I had tingles, head rushes this morning, plus the sleep deprivation makes my tinnitus and ears worse.

Can I ask how long were you on the HRT before you stopped? And did they give you the low dose antidepressants right away after? How long did they take to kick in and you to feel better?

sorry for all these questions but I’m really struggling right now, been signed off work for two weeks, and just desperate to feel better.

@smilingfanatic thats so good to hear, your post gives me hope while I’m going thru this very dark time. Fingers crossed.

@lul37
I know this sounds bad but I only lasted on the hrt 2 days!!
The night i put it on i woke at 4.30am feeling alot worse, literally jittery & wired & the next day was crying & felt so awful.
I must be so sensitive to the estrogen. I've tried 3 times also and everytime its a no no.
Mine started with head surges out of nowhere watching tv
Ive never experienced anything like it & was a daily thing until at 2 weeks i had a full blown panic attack that I would never of believed was a panic attack.
This happened again 2 nights later..
They lasted hours & almost went to A&E.
I called 111.
It was only 2 weeks after this I went for a brain mri as was such a state & the head surges & tingles had really had me thinking something was badly wrong.
Anyway, in the mri tunnel I started to panic & when I left i had exactly the same sensations & knew it was a panic attacks.
The mri showed normal and I guess there was a peace of mind.
The amitriptyline is really good.
I was actually already on the amitriptyline so thats nothing new & actually considering jumping into an ssri but the propronol i would recommend.
It's a calming medication thst you take daily or onset of the feelings or panic. It also calms the heart racing.
You could ask youre GP about this medication its widely used amongst my friends also..
I still have no idea how I spent 6 weeks in that mode, never before have I.
I guess knowing its panic & anxious feelings calms the mind, but who knew you could feel so bad with anxiety & panic. I felt like I had electric in my brain or something..
Had you been anxious before all this built up? I definitely had been..
I think if I try hrt again I'm going to go progesterone route first then add estrogen and see..
I hope this all helps..